


Flight Mode Love

by julesherondalex



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: ACOTAR AU Week, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Fluff, day 1 coffee shop au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julesherondalex/pseuds/julesherondalex
Summary: Azriel has sworn off love ever since having his heart broken by the girl who was supposed to be the love of his life. If only the beautiful barista at Starbucks wouldn't make it so hard to stick to that...
Relationships: Elain Archeron/Azriel, elriel - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52
Collections: ACOTAR AU Week, ACOTAR AU Week Day 1





	Flight Mode Love

**Author's Note:**

> My first piece in honor of the acotar au week - run by @acotarauweek over on tumblr - Elain and Azriel in a Coffee Shop AU! Thanks to @illyrianbeauty @stars-falling and @writing-after-midnight for organizing this week and I hope you all like this story 💙

Of course she had caught his eye.

With her full honey hair that flowed whenever she moved she seemed to be coming right out of a Wella ad.

And that sweet smile she offered every customer as if her day was made through the pure act of kindness? It was truly impossible not to notice the beautiful barista. 

It was just that Azriel had sworn off love at first sight since the incident with Morrigan. 

Still his spine was overrun by shivers of horror as he remembered his helpless confession and her very much prepared rejection. 

Not that any of it mattered right now, anyway. He was shaken out of love the moment that humiliating pity entered Mor’s eyes and he heard her reasoning for _why_ she couldn’t be in love with him. Maybe he had stopped loving her even before that. Maybe he had never loved her to begin with, only the idea of having a perfect love story with a golden girl named Morrigan. 

It was fine, really. Azriel didn’t mourn the loss of those obsessive feelings. Hence, he didn’t let himself look at Elain longer than necessary. 

_Elain_. That’s what her name tag said. He wondered how the word would roll off his tongue – well, _no_. He didn’t wonder at all. He didn’t wonder one damn bit and he wouldn’t look at her any longer. Shit. 

Shaking his head, Az tried to get rid of his thoughts and gulped more of the black coffee out of the cup between his hands while he resumed his overall-monitoring of the lunchtime rush around him. 

Lately, his life had taken a grey monotonous turn. Everything was … fine, but somehow he was still bored out of his mind. Could it be that he was missing the rush of emotion whenever Mor entered the room? If so, he must truly be loving the pain.

In his core he knew, though, that Mor wasn’t what missed from his life. But what was it? Because Az was sure that _something_ was missing. 

“Hey.” 

She even had a lovely voice. 

_Don’t think about it, Az. Just don’t do it._

He looked up at Elain’s sweet face, and his heart did a somersault inside his chest. 

Oh, for God’s sake. Please. That only ever happened in books. He was over-exaggerating his feelings again. 

He went with a bored raise of his brows, and cursed himself immediately as her smile waned a bit around the edges. Good fucking way to hurt this kind person’s feelings just because he needed his easy heart frozen. 

“I was just wondering if I could bring you anything else.”

Now a blush covered her cheeks. Great. He’d embarrassed her and it made him feel terrible. He tried to offer her a tight smile but as soon as her brows furrowed Az thought he might have just grimaced in her face. He should just stop … _that_. Whatever happened to him when he tried not to notice this girl. 

“No, thank you.” As she nodded and turned back to the counter, he made a spontaneous change of decision. A chance to return that smile to her lips – not that he cared. He didn’t care at all. It was just … the right thing to do. Being friendly.

 _Right_. 

“Wait! Maybe I could try one of those chocolate brownies you have displayed. Are they any good?”

And there it was, that beautiful grin, warming him all around, instantly. 

“Oh, they’re more than good! I’ll bring you some in a sec.”

She eagerly made her way to the counter, preparing a plate of the small squares for him. Azriel acted like he wasn’t watching her move about, the swish of her hair, pinned out of her face but flowing down her back freely. He had a feeling she noticed his stare anyway. 

She returned with brownies and refilled his coffee but didn’t accept his money when he tried to pay. 

“It’s on the house.” She smiled, blushing. “You’re a regular customer, and I have an inkling once you’ve tasted these, we’ll be selling more.”

He would buy these brownies, Az decided right then and there, every day if it made her smile like that. He thanked her, and the smile he offered in return was genuine this time.

When Az left back for work, he found Elain’s positive energy and her sweet smile lightened the dull of his life a little longer than for the moment, for he still thought about it.

So much for not noticing the beautiful barista.

…

“You never stop working, do you?” Elain’s voice swept him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to find his usual black coffee placed in front of him.

A few weeks and some conversations later, the barista seemed to find a way to prepare his drink and bring it to his table every once in a while rather than calling his name or letting her co-worker serve him. He wondered about it but worried if he brought it up, she would stop dropping by altogether and he’d lose whatever small span of attention she offered him during their little small talks.

He’d given up trying to ignore her. Noticing Elain came easy to Az.

“I would appreciate someone mentioning that to my boss.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. The screen work cost him more effort than usual.

“I promised I’d finish this by the end of today. I should’ve crammed in some weekend working but my roommate threw a party and I was left cleaning up after his hungover ass.”

He rubbed at his temples, remembering the mess Cassian and the others had made. Az had been drinking _too_ , but he also refused to live even a single day in a place that resembled a dumpster. He stifled a shudder at the thought though he’d never admit to Cass or Rhys. He’d already built up a reputation of being a neat-freak.

“Aw, poor Az.” Elain offered him a sympathetic pout and reached into the pocket of her green apron. “I’ve noticed you looking pale and rubbing your temples. Here,” she added and handed him an aspirin.

Azriel took it, surprised, and shot her a relieved glance. “You’re my hero. Thank you.”

He gulped down the pill with some of his coffee, and made to return to his work when he realized Elain still stalling at his table. She was chewing her bottom lip, absent-minded, and playing with a strand of her hair. Azriel’s gaze was locked on that golden-brown curl for a second until he forced his eyes away.

“Would you like me to bring you a brownie?” Elain asked, her attention snapping to him all at once.

“You really want to bring about my ruin by selling every single brownie in this shop to me, don’t you?” he joked, watching her cheeks heat.

She was so adorable he couldn’t help but admire her. Why must she appear now? Az was supposed to _not_ like anybody. Much less this sweet girl who he would only bring down.

“You know,” she began, with a meek twist of her mouth. “You could always be baking your own brownies. You could save some cash that way.”

Az gave an amused snort. “I cannot bake for the sake of my life.”

It was as if she had been waiting for that comment, perking up and bringing the custom charming smile of hers back to life. “I’ve been giving baking lessons here at the shop once a week after closing time. Actually, today is my next class and we’re baking, well, brownies. You should come.”

It was the hopefulness in Elain’s features that made Azriel’s heart soar and break at the same time, knowing he should all but quench the unbidden wishes of the betrayer within his chest.

The way she blushed and lowered her eyes from his, Az knew this was her way of offering him to spend time with her. Sort of … like a date? She was hoping for a date with _him_?

It was far from his grasp why a sweet and beautiful girl like Elain would want to spend time with the gruff, boring customer who drank black coffee and thought house parties were a pain in his ass.

There was not a single doubt in him that she was too good for him. If Mor was golden, Elain was pure light – everything and all what was innocent and natural. He’d seen well enough how he wasn’t fit for a perfect love story; he was neither golden nor pure himself. Azriel was all edges and hurt, regret and pain; if Elain was radiant as light, he could have barely been her shadow.

But his heart resisted against the thought of letting her down even though he didn’t understand why he must always choose to want the things he couldn’t have. He was always left trying to leash the beast inside his chest.

Still, Elain out of all seemed to stir it quite differently than any other person. Perhaps it was the way she smiled at him as if she truly liked him, however that might have happened. Or maybe it was her being so astoundingly full of life and energy that allured him to her presence. Whatever it was, he had a hard time fighting against it.

“I’ll think about it,” he mumbled, knowing he wasn’t going to show up tonight. Perhaps she knew it too, for that hope in her eyes faded as day turned to night.

…

“You said _what_?”

Cassian jumped up and grabbed his pillow, attempting to throw it at Azriel’s face. “Dude, are you nuts?”

Az groaned, regretting in a single second having told Cassian about the barista on his mind.

Elain had nestled into his thoughts and wouldn’t leave. He blamed himself for it, as per usual. His mind was just fucked up like that – he couldn’t let go of things.

“So let me get this straight.” Cassian began pacing the living room. “You’ve been flirting with this gorgeous barista for weeks – just know you’re hurting my feelings by not telling me anything about it, brother,” he scoffed but when Azriel tried to protest – _I didn’t_ flirt _with her_ – he was cut off.

“So you apparently like her and she likes you back but when she goes and asks you on a date you say, what? ‘ _I’ll think about it_ ’? You know that means ‘no’, right? Brother, I hate to break this to you, but you’re stupid.”

Az crossed his arms against his chest, frowning at his roommate. “You really make me regret saying anything to you at all.”

Cassian began shaking his head vigorously, shrugging his shoulders as he made his way into Azriel’s bedroom. He reemerged a second later, this time shoving clothes in Azriel’s face. “Get your ass into these. You’re going out tonight.”

Az fisted the black jeans and navy button down shirt and threw them to the opposite end of the couch. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Cassian sighed, brows furrowing as he crossed his arms across his chest. “Is this because of Mor?” he asked. “Because you still love her?”

Azriel snarled. “You know I don’t love her like that anymore. I just don’t want to go on dates right now, man.”

“Well, if that’s the case.” Cassian grabbed for the clothes again and held them out to Az. “You’re going to wear this shit, wash your face, style your hair and meet this cute barista whom I had no idea existed” – he made a face like _low blow, man_ – “and who you obviously can’t stop thinking about. Don’t let this chance go to waste.”

Azriel narrowed his eyes at him, refusing to take the clothes from his hand. “Or what?”

“Or I’ll call Morrigan and let her deal with you. You know better than anyone else that she doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. And once she’s got a sniff of good gossip, you know everyone’s in it, too. Do you want to make a big deal of one date, brother?” Cassian grinned, aware of the situation he put Az in. But then he sobered, looking more like an older brother than seconds ago. Azriel thought he saw concern in the male’s eyes. “ _One_ date. Go on this one date and decide the rest for yourself.”

They stared at each other until Azriel finally relented and wrenched the clothes from Cassian’s hand.

He told himself he couldn’t say no to Mor, and so could no one else. He told himself he didn’t want to be the inner circle’s current topic of gossip. He told himself he only let Cassian convince him because combined with Mor, they were an unnervingly annoying force he didn’t want to face right now. He told himself those were the only reasons he would bake together with Elain tonight. _One_ date.

But a part of him, a huge part, was much more than relieved that he finally had a reason to stop fighting against what his heart desired anyway.

…

Had his hair always been this untamable?

Azriel grew desperate with the way the strands wouldn’t stay out of his brow. He had been trying to arrange them for the past five minutes, staring at his reflection in the book store window right beside the Starbucks where Elain was to give her baking class in a few minutes.

He gave up trying to tame the jet black strands, hoping that Elain wouldn’t mind a little crazy hair. Az had forgotten dates could be this nerve-wracking.

He had seen others going into the coffee shop, so they wouldn’t be alone at least. It wasn’t even a real date, he told himself. Just some time spent together. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and stepped inside.

The surprise lining Elain’s features as soon as her eyes fell on him made him feel bad instantly. But the moment she beamed at him, blindingly bright with her eyes crinkling around the corners, any thought was wiped away from his mind, leaving him a little breathless.

So he was really going to act like a hopelessly romantic dude from a sappy rom-com then. Nice.

Elain made her way toward him, rounding the tables with baking ingredients already fixed upon them – that smile still on her lips. “You came.”

Az buried his hands in his pockets, raising a brow. “I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity of baking, could I?”

He didn’t know how he managed to sound so calm when tension curled in his stomach like nervous flutter.

Elain let out an excited laugh. God, his knees went a little weak then and there.

“You’re going to regret those words once we’ve started. I promise it’s going to be fun!”

And fun it was.

Azriel would never have thought that baking could make him so happy. Although he was pretty sure it had everything to do with the gorgeous woman with her generously offered smiles and nothing to do with the baking itself.

He was shit at it, as expected. But when they were done, Elain still tried one of his brownies and gave him a mischievous grin, acting like they didn’t taste of dust. Az didn’t care a damn bit that he had fucked up this easy dessert. He only cared she looked at him like that.

The chemistry between them was palpable, something that had rarely if at all happened to Az. If he could feel this much joy from a few hours with Elain, he wondered how an entire day in her presence would be like. An entire week. Even more.

He thought about all this as he helped clean up and walked her home afterwards.

“You’re quiet,” Elain noted. “Is everything all right?”

Could he tell her what was on his mind? Could he admit he was scared shitless of his own emotions and how they usually led him to be left hurt in the end?

He shook his head and offered her a timid smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I had fun tonight. Thanks for inviting me.”

They came to a slow stop reaching Elain’s apartment and the woman turned to him.

“Thank you for coming. Can I be honest with you?” Elain requested, and Azriel felt the nerves all over when he nodded.

“I didn’t think you’d show up tonight. I thought I had interpreted it all wrong and that I made you feel uncomfortable.” She touched his arm, briefly. A playful touch accompanied by a shy smile. “But you came, and I’m glad for it. Very glad.”

His breathing quickened as they stared into each other’s eyes.

He was glad, too, for coming. He would have to thank Cassian for forcing him.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew it was only partly true. For he had wanted to come and would have turned up here one way or another. No one, not even Morrigan, could make him do the things he didn’t feel like doing. For all that it was worth, Azriel was even more stubborn than Cassian or Mor, and his patience was as encompassing as both of theirs combined. If he hadn’t truly wanted to, Az wouldn’t have come.

That realization struck close to his initial fears, triggering all the alarms his subconscious had installed over time. He barely knew this woman and was too invested already. It felt as though he had set himself up to get hurt.

So when Elain took a step closer to him, lifting her chin in anticipation of a goodnight kiss – which would have been the only logical step after a night like this – Azriel stiffened entirely.

Registering the confusion in her eyes, he didn’t stick around for her to address whatever made him recoil. He pecked her cheek, mumbled a weak _goodnight_ and bolted.

…

Azriel avoided Starbucks for the entire next week.

He didn’t know if he would ever return there, ashamed of having run like he did. He found himself hoping fate would take the decision out of his hands and never cross their paths again.

Apparently fate wasn’t pleased with Azriel after all, because one night after staying in late at work he met her again. It was almost midnight; the streets dark and gradually emptying, when she stopped short upon seeing him.

Even after leaving her hanging like he did, she still smiled at him. No matter how sad the expression.

“Hey, Azriel.”

Maybe it was the shock of seeing her face again, or the rush of emotions he had suppressed for the past week, but he neither smiled back nor did he utter a word. He only kept staring at her.

The smile waned from her lips.

It seemed that was the only thing he was ever able to accomplish.

“You know, I thought something happened to you when you didn’t turn up all this time. I’m glad you seem fine.”

He saw her throat work as she swallowed. She seemed to wait for him to say something but when he didn’t, the words spilled out of her mouth.

“Maybe I interpreted all of it wrong again. I guess I can see why you stopped coming around. It would have been weird to continue seeing you where I work when you aren’t into me and that night I tried to…” She stopped and grimaced, shuffling and pushing back a strand of hair behind her ear without meeting his gaze.

“I feel stupid now because I thought we … well, it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to let you know that I understand. I never intended to keep you from your beloved coffee though. I know how much you like that bitter stuff from Starbucks.” She forced a smile and finally brought her eyes back to his. They were clear, without any menace or reproach. She was just as pure as he had initially known.

“So what I’m trying to say is, you can still come around and have your coffee. I won’t bother you, I promise. I won’t make things awkward. It’s just coffee, nothing else.”

Seeing Elain take the blame for his shitty behavior made it all worse. He couldn’t comprehend her utter kindness. He had really fucked up a chance he shouldn’t have been missing. Losing something he never had to begin with sure hurt more than he thought possible.

And now, Elain turned to leave. “Goodnight, Azriel.”

Az considered for the shortest second to just let her go, thinking he had no interest in her whatsoever. It was the easy way out of the mess he’d created, an easy way to protect his heart.

But the mere thought of Elain believing it was _her_ who had done wrong while it was all him, only him, made his hands clench into fists. Elain deserved to hear the truth, no matter how much of a coward that would expose him to be.

So he called out her name, jogging up to reach her.

“Elain,” he began, with a breathlessness that had nothing to do with physical exertion. “It’s not that I don’t like you. Or that I don’t want to see you.” 

“It’s okay, Azriel,” she interrupted. “You don’t have to explain. I’d rather we pretend nothing happened at all.” 

He was shaking his head, urgent now in telling her the truth before his courage left him.

“But that’s the thing. I tried to but I can’t pretend I don’t know you, Elain. I tried, but I can’t pretend I didn’t have the best time with you and we were only _baking_. I hate baking. I can’t pretend I don’t really, really like you, and I tried. I scared myself when I failed to not see you, to not want to spend even more time with you.”

There it was again, that hope she conjured ever so easily, without fear of it being crushed. She was courageous in a way Azriel admired.

As she continued staring at him with her caramel doe-eyes, he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Look, I didn’t have much luck when it comes to my love life. I’m sorry I behaved like an ass just because I tried to protect my heart.”

Elain reached out and took his hand, squeezing. Sympathy was edged into her features and it lifted a weight from his chest. A weight he had been feeling ever since he failed to properly kiss her that night.

“I understand, Azriel. I do,” she reassured. “Everyone gets hurt at some point but that’s just the way life is. You hurt, you suffer and you learn to live with it. The pain teaches you and before you know it, you emerge stronger than you’ve ever been. It helps shape the person you are today.”

From the way those words left her lips, Azriel knew intuitively she had equally suffered through the pain loving someone could inflict. It made this connection he felt to her even deeper.

“I like who I am now, despite the pain, and I like _you_. I won’t even pretend I don’t because I’m pretty sure you knew from the start.” Elain blew a wisp of her golden-brown hair out of her face and smiled, embarrassed.

“So you see, fear and pain belong to us as much as happiness does. With light there comes shadows. It is the way things are. Being afraid shows that you care.” 

Azriel exhaled, wondering about the sad stories that seemed to linger behind those happy eyes and sweet smile. “You are very wise. And you make convincing points.” 

She chuckled quietly. “I’m not trying to convince you. Well maybe I am, only a little, but I’m not going to admit to that in case it makes me look pathetic. I’m just letting you know that I really do like you and if you like me too, then let’s be afraid together and still try whatever might come from this.”

She laced her fingers through the hand she was still holding. Azriel felt all the right jolts of electricity between them; he could perfectly hear Cassian’s voice calling him stupid if he didn’t _try_. Because whatever was coming from Az and Elain together, he had a feeling it was worth the potential pain.

Azriel didn’t like making impromptu decisions, but he had learned love couldn’t be planned or controlled. So he just went along with what the beast inside his chest roared.

“Have you ever been stargazing?” he asked her, suddenly.

Elain’s lips quirked to the side even as she looked up. “No, not really. You can’t see much with all the fog.”

“I know a place,” he mumbled, squeezing her hand. “Would you like me to show you?” A small smile tugged at his lips. “Only if you promise not to tell anyone, that is. It’s a secret place and I intend to keep it free of busybodies.”

Elain’s eyes searched his face, her features beautiful with silent mischief and undeniable hope. He could admire her for an awfully long time, Az thought.

“Azriel,” she whispered, “Are you scared?”

“Yes.” But he wouldn’t run this time.

She grinned, and held on tighter to his hand. “Then let’s go.”


End file.
